All I Want Is Everything
Title: All I Want Is Everything
Pairing: Chanbaek/Baekyeol
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5259
Genre: Romance
Description: Baekhyun is selfish, but Chanyeol finds that he doesn’t really mind.
A/N: I wrote this at like 1AM-3AM because I always do my best writing at weird hours of the night. Anyway, this takes place in the same universe as Black & White, which focuses on Kyungsoo. The third part will spin off this, and will be focused on Kris and Yixing. I'm just going to excuse myself now...
September 9, 2013
11:05 AM
Chanyeol hears the whispers when he walks through the lobby of PL Entertainment on a regular basis.
He’s been working here for more than five years and he’s only discovered, what, one talent? It was just luck, a total fluke. That guy doesn’t have ‘the eye.’
Chanyeol knows that he is picky when it comes to picking talent for the company. He has only ever approved of one, a singer-dancer by the name of Max Changmin, who debuted several years ago to fervent success. He thinks that Changmin’s album sales alone should prove that he does have ‘the eye’ for talent, but the whispers, they never end.
“Kyungsoo-ah, I’m in a shitty mood. There better be no problems on your end with the photobook,” he barks into his phone, almost as soon as his feet hit the sidewalk.
“Hey, don’t take your anger out on me,” Kyungsoo replies on the other end, albeit a bit huffily.
“No promises,” Chanyeol sighs. “Do you have the draft ready to show me? President Park wants it finalized in a week, tops.”
Kyungsoo lets out a chuckle on the other end. “You get too worked up over Changmin-ssi’ business,” he says. “Calm down, Yeol. Deep breaths, okay?”
The comment gets to Chanyeol more than it should, and he almost rolls his eyes out of their sockets in frustration.
“Kris and I were going to grab lunch in a few minutes,” Kyungsoo adds quickly. “Why don’t you meet us on the Strip in twenty minutes and I’ll bring you the proposal then.”
Chanyeol quickly agrees and hangs up the phone. So what if it’s not even noon yet on a Wednesday? He’s more than ready to get shitfaced.
11:40 AM
It appears that Kris and Kyungsoo’s lunch plans, however, did not include alcohol. Chanyeol trails the two in mild disgust as they do not turn off the Strip towards the bars and ktv, but instead follows the street north, towards the dainty cafes and vintage shops.
“I could use a turkey club sandwich or two,” Kris declares as he leads the way.
Chanyeol brings up the rear, and he thinks they make a striking trio. He and Kris are tall, both well over six feet. Kyungsoo is way shorter, but has enough spunk in his attitude to make up for it. He had gone to the same college as Kris, who now worked as a manga editor at a publishing company. It is through Kris that he had met, and then briefly dated, Kyungsoo, who also worked at the same publishing company.
“Let’s go there!” Kris calls, pointing at a sandwich shop at the corner. He is halfway to the door when Kyungsoo yanks on his sleeve and stops him in his tracks.
“We can’t go there,” he says.
“Why not?” Kris whines, looking as if his world has suddenly ended.
“Remember that guy I used to date? He’s a waiter there, and I am not in the mood to see him today,” Kyungsoo replies.
“Didn’t we used to date too?” Chanyeol asks, confused. “Besides, aren’t you dating that dancer kid now?”
“Okay, we only dated for two weeks because I was mesmerized by your long legs,” Kyungsoo interrupts, holding up a hand. “That guy was my first love, okay? I dated that guy for months, and then he dumped me with a goddamn text.”
“Harsh,” Kris replies, wincing. He turns away from the restaurant, hooks an arm protectively over Kyungsoo’s shoulder, and starts steering him to a bulgogi place down the street.
“Does no one want my opinion?” Chanyeol barks, annoyed, as he yet again trailed after the other two. “I want to go that way where the alcohol is.”
His command is only met with silence. As usual.
October 6, 2013
4:55 PM
Seoul is chilly by October, and Chanyeol makes his way through Hongdae towards the subway entrance five blocks from PL Entertainment in a hurry. He has left his scarf at home, and he can no longer feel his ears or his nose due to the cold.
He almost cries with frustration when he turns the corner and sees the large crowd standing stationary in the middle of the square blocking his path. His fingers are starting to go numb as well.
Then, he hears the voice, and realizes why people were gathered in the middle of the street on such a cold day.
A man is sitting on a bench next to a soft, gurgling fountain. A guitar is propped on his lap, the man wore fingerless gloves in order to fight off the cold. He sang with the voice of angel, head tilted back, eyes closed. The melody flowed out of thin lips like sweet wine, and Chanyeol finds himself move closer.
This was it. This was the voice, the one that he has been waiting to discover for the past four years. Chanyeol decides to pop into the nearby coffee shop to grab a warm drink, and further observe this piece of perfection.
7:00 PM
Two hours later, Chanyeol watches from the coffee shop window as the man with the beautiful voice gathers the money he has collected into neat pile and starts to pack away his guitar case. Chanyeol orders another hot chocolate, and accosts the man just as he is about to leave.
“For you,” he says, holding out the drink.
The singer gives his a once over, and seemly decides that Chanyeol does not seem like the poisoning type, despite being a giant at over 6ft tall. He shrugs, and accepts the warm drink. He takes a sip, and a shudder of warmth spreads through his body.
“You have a really nice voice,” Chanyeol says, taking a seat on the bench. Now that he has had a closer look at the man, Chanyeol also thinks that he has a nice face. However, he decides to leave that detail out, thinking it to be too creepy.
“Thanks, I guess,” the man replies, also taking a seat.
There is a beat of silence, before Chanyeol holds out a business card. “I’m Park Chanyeol, a talent scout for PL Entertainment. If you have the time, please give me a call sometime and I can set you up with a private audition. You are really talented, and I think we could use someone like you on the team.”
The singer gives him an incredulous look, shaking his head at the card in front of him. “Byun Baekhyun,” he replies, haughtily. “And also, not interested.”
“What do you mean?” Chanyeol asks surprised. PL Entertainment is one of “the big three” in South Korea, and he has just more or less offered this Byun Baekhyun a chance at a recording contract. Who in their right mind turns that down?
“I’m not interested in auditioning for any company,” Baekhyun repeats. He stands up, and picks up his guitar case with the hand not holding the hot chocolate. “I am not interested in being factory produced into the next pop idol by some big shot producers who think they know what’s best for me.”
Chanyeol opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again, shocked into silence.
“It was nice meeting you, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun says, turning away. “Thanks for the drink.”
And then, he is gone.
And Chanyeol is left, still holding out his business card to the empty street.
October 23, 2013
5:21 PM
Chanyeol stalks the singer, Baekhyun, a little. Just a little. Okay, no, a lot. But as any talent scout knows, once you see the talent, you don’t give up until they’ve been won over. He learns that Baekhyun plays in the spot outside the café every Monday and Thursday, and sings in a different café on Friday and Saturday nights.
The more time Chanyeol listens to his voice, the more he is convinced that it is flawless. Byun Baekhyun hits every note with ease, and has vocal range control that rivals an experienced singer.
Chanyeol knows that this voice can make it big, and then finally, finally, the whispers would stop.
November 2, 2013
3:24 PM
“Dude, enough is enough.”
“I agree,” Chanyeol says, holding out his business card again at the whining man sitting across from him. It had started to rain that day, in the middle of Baekhyun’s streetside performance, and Chanyeol thanked the weather gods, and then cornered Baekhyun in the coffee shop.
“I’m starting to think that you’re my number one fan,” Baekhyun sighs, still not taking the card. “I see you at more of my performances than my online fanclub.”
“You have a fanclub?”
“Unfortunately,” Baekhyun grumbles.
Chanyeol can’t help but let out a chuckle. “Here, take this card and I’ll leave you alone.”
“For how long?” Baekhyun counters.
Chanyeol realizes he has been caught, and smiles sheepishly. “A week? Maybe two.”
Baekhyun sighs dramatically, and swipes the card out of Chanyeol’s hands. “I’ll take all the time I can get,” he says, rolling his eyes.
November 14, 2013
11:47 AM
The first time Chanyeol receives a call from Byun Baekhyun, it is nothing contract related. There is an indie music festival in town, and Baekhyun has extra tickets.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a music expert?” Baekhyun says tauntingly over the phone. “Well, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Chanyeol accepts the invitation, and gets ready to wow Baekhyun with the fact that he doesn’t just know Top 40 pop music, but also knows his indie.
He just needs to do some research first.
November 27, 2013
8:10 PM
It takes less than twenty minutes for Baekhyun to realize that Chanyeol knew nothing about indie music. While he does recognize the instruments and the singing techniques, he fails at naming the top indie artists of the past two decades, and instead flails in confusion.
Still, Chanyeol finds the concert quiet enjoyable and discovers that he likes indie music. It’s a nice change of pace, he thinks. Very nice, indeed.
December 18, 2013
1:59 PM
With the Holiday Edition Max Changmin Official Photobook set to go on sale in less than 10 days, on Christmas, Chanyeol finds himself spending a lot of time at ExoZine Publications, Inc., hovering over Kyungsoo as they finalize everything for printing.
“You’re creeping me out,” Kyungsoo whines, as he looks up and shrieks at finding Chanyeol’s face so close to his own. “Seriously, you need to get out of my personal space bubble.”
“Stop being so jumpy,” Chanyeol replies, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, you just need to get laid.”
“I wish,” Kyungsoo mutters under his breath.
For a moment, Chanyeol freezes, but then Kris is barging into the office, dragging Sehun the intern-slash-receptionist behind him with an annoyed expression.
“I caught him sleeping on the job just now,” Kris roars at Kyungsoo, giving Chanyeol a nod of acknowledgement. “Do you realize that this is all your fault?”
“How am I to blame?” Kyungsoo asks, confused.
“You were the one who set him up with Jongin, okay? That makes his lack of attentiveness your fault.”
Chanyeol tunes out of the conversation as the other two start to argue, and gives poor Sehun a sympathetic look. The boy looks terrified to be caught between Kris and Kyungsoo’s yelling match.
Then, Chanyeol realizes the irony. “Yah, Do Kyungsoo, is there anyone in this conversation or in this room that you haven’t kissed?”
Kyungsoo is silent for a moment. True, there had been that one office party when he had drunkenly kissed Sehun the intern. Then, he had dated Jongin for several months before peacefully parting ways. He had set Jongin and Sehun up less than a month ago, and the two had hit it off perfectly. “Um…no?” he replies, finally. He had dated Chanyeol for a short three weeks ages ago, and had once accidentally kissed Kris out of excitement for getting him the entire set of Death Note mangas and anime for his birthday.
There is a beat of silence, as everyone mulls it over.
“Whoops?” Kyungsoo offers, meekly. “Sorry?”
Kris just sighs.
“Well, it’s coming back to bite me in the ass now, isn’t it?” Kyungsoo grumbles. “Now that I finally figure out what I want, and who I want, I can’t have him.”
“Can I go back to my desk now?” Sehun asks, voice timid, shooting Kris a nervous look.
Kris nods, and gives him a warning look. “No more sleeping at work, okay?” Kris barks. “You can spend all night doing whatever you want with Jongin on the weekends.”
Sehun blushes purple, and bolts from the room.
“Funny, considering you sleep more than anyone at work,” Kyungsoo mutters.
“Yah, that is because - because that’s how my job cycle works. I sleep because I’ve been up for more than 24 hours meeting deadlines, not because I spend all night - look, I am so not having this conversation with you.” Kris turns on his heel with a huff, and struts from the room.
Kyungsoo turns to Chanyeol and shrugs, before turning back to the screen. “So, anything new with your love life? My sucks because the guy I love is dating someone else.”
Chanyeol doesn’t have a love life, so he tells Kyungsoo about Baekhyun instead.
January 3, 2014
7:11 PM
When Kyungsoo finally does get a love life, he is unbearable.
“He made me breakfast in bed,” Kyungsoo says dreamily over the phone as Chanyeol tries not to gag. “Chanyeollie, he’s perfect.”
“So, um…about the reprinting of the photobook…” Chanyeol tries again, because goddamnit Max Changmin’s Holiday Photobooks are selling like hotcakes and PL Entertainment needs to order more, more, more.
“Oh, you’ll have to call and talk to someone else,” Kyungsoo tells him. “I’m taking a week off work because Joonmyun and I are going to a ski resort tomorrow. Isn’t it wonderful? I haven’t been skiing in years.”
Chanyeol fights the urge to throw up in his mouth and quickly hangs up.
January 20, 2014
10:15 PM
Sometimes Baekhyun calls, just to have a chat, and Chanyeol finds that he doesn’t really mind. Baekhyun has a nice voice, even when he isn’t singing, and it’s soothing, Chanyeol thinks.
January 29, 2014
11:02 PM
Then sometimes, its’ not even Baekhyun who calls.
Chanyeol stares down in confusion at the caller ID. It definitely says Byun Baekhyun, but the shrill voice yelling at him is high pitched and that of a female.
“Deh, hello?” Chanyeol says again, confused.
“Your friend is drunk and passed out in the lobby of the apartment,” the woman says, sounding exaggerated. “I found your name card in his pocket and you were on speed dial so you must be close. Can you come get this lump?”
Chanyeol is up and dressed in record time
11:39 PM
The lady in the lobby hands the phone over to Chanyeol, and immediately takes off for the stairs, mumbling about ‘young people’ and ‘alcoholic.’ Chanyeol takes one look at the bleary-eyed Baekhyun and feels bad.
Baekhyun is sporting bloodshot red eyes and a dopey smile, and his hair is beyond wrecked.
“What floor do you live on, Baek?” Chanyeol asks, lugging the smaller man to his feet.
Baekhyun just shoves a key in Chanyeol faces. He looks down, and reads 5D on the keychain. Chanyeol presses the up button for the elevator, and wait patiently, taking most of Baekhyun’s weight.
He wakes Baekhyun up by putting his head in the sink and turning on very cold water. Then, he makes rice and bread, and more or less forces it down Baekhyun’s throat in order to soak up the alcohol in his system.
“What happened to you?” Chanyeol asks, not sure if he really even wants to know.
“Sometimes, my parents like to call and remind me what I have no career, except working as a waiter and street musician,” Baekhyun mutters. “They’re not that amused at having a failure for a son.”
Baekhyun’s face is pale, and Chanyeol realizes he is about to throw up just in time to shove him over to the sink.
“You should stop drinking,” Chanyeol observes conversationally as they watch vomit slide down the drain.
Baekhyun lets out a sardonic laugh, then drags himself over to lay down on the couch.
“Thanks for taking care of me, Chanyeol,” he mutters, curling into a miserable ball under a blanket. “Even if I do think it’s just because you like to laugh at me.”
“I’m going to go get some aspirin from the convenience store around the corner for you to have tomorrow morning,” Chanyeol replies, gently. He pats Baekhyun on the forehead, and starts to head out. “You’re not a failure, Baek. Don’t let them get to you, or you’re going to be having a lot of horrible hangovers in the future.”
He leaves Baekhyun to a restless slumber, and quietly goes to purchase the aspirin. Chanyeol realizes that maybe, Baekhyun isn’t perfect in a literal sense, but to him, Baekhyun is unconventionally perfect in every way.
February 1, 2014
12:31 PM
It is a whole week after the drunk-Baekhyun incident before Baekhyun calls again. This time, he is calm, almost somber.
“I’ll do it.”
“What?” Chanyeol yelps in surprise, almost dropping the phone in his hand.
“I said I’ll have an audition with your company. Is that enough?”
Suddenly, Chanyeol feels guilty. “Baek, if this is about what your parents said, don’t - ”
“It’s not,” Baekhyun interrupts. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually, and it would help my music to reach out to a bigger audience. It can’t be so bad, since you work there, right?”
Right.
February 10, 2014
9:02 AM
The company is abuzz the day Baekhyun is schedule to come in for the audition. It has been more than four years since the legendary talent scout has brought anyone in. His first find had been the biggest pop star of South Korea; who knows what his second has the possibility to be.
10:47 AM
“I’m nervous,” Baekhyun admits in the elevator as he glances around at the grant walls reflecting his terrified face back to him.
Baekhyun is dressed in simple black jeans, white tshirt, and black leather jacket. His red converse scuffed against another as he shuffled around, aimlessly. He is casually stunning, Chanyeol decides.
“Just smile and sing,” Chanyeol advises. He’s never been wrong about talent before.
12:22 PM
Chanyeol is waiting for Baekhyun outside the room where Baekhyun is auditioning when he comes out, a bottle of soda in hand.
“How’d it go?” Chanyeol asks.
Baekhyun takes the drink and shrugs. “Okay, I guess.”
4:51 PM
It turns out Baekhyun did better than okay. Chanyeol’s sunbaes that had been the panel on the audition were gushing about the boy with the looks, the personality, and the voice.
“You did it again,” one of them says as he claps Chanyeol on the back at the end of a team meeting. “I don’t know how you keep finding them, but you did it.”
Chanyeol just smiles. He is never wrong about talent.
February 12, 2014
1:08 PM
However, the board meeting doesn’t go exactly the way Chanyeol imagined. While the audition panel is made of experts with a love and affinity for music, the board is composed of investors and the financial experts, and could care less about the quality of the music as long as profit was involved.
“The voice is worth investment,” the director of the board decides, nodding approvingly. “He has a nice face too, even if he is a bit short. We can get him some insoles and eyeliner around those eyes, and he’ll be a heartbreaker.”
“I think he would be well received,” another adds, thoughtfully. “Not too young like some of the singers other companies are debuting, but not too old to be uncool.”
Then, the director utters the word that makes Chanyeol’s hairs stand up on his arm: pop.
There had been a time, months ago, when Chanyeol had wanted nothing more than to mold Byun Baekhyun into the next Max Changmin, with flashy dance moves and all. However, while Changmin is suited for pop music, Chanyeol had decided that he likes Baekhyun just the way he is, with his guitar, playing acoustic, slightly indie songs and singing soul ballads.
“He’s not going to be a pop star.”
Faces turn to him. The director of the board raises a challenging eyebrow and is not amused.
1:45 PM
Fifteen minutes after receiving the emergency text, Baekhyun bursts into the company lobby in a full-out panic.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asks, wildly.
Chanyeol blinks, confused.
“Yah, Park Chanyeol, you typed EMERGENCY in all capital letters. I thought you had died or something, dammit,” Baekhyun whines.
2:10 PM
Chanyeol does not like to admit it, but his relationship with the President of PL Entertainment is more than just that of a boss and subordinate. In fact, President Park is his favorite uncle, someone he has known and grown up next to all of his life. Not many of his co-workers knew of their relation, and he likes to keep it that way.
While President Park still held the title of ‘President,’ he had more or less retired, and left most executive decisions to his underlines, working only behind the scenes to ensure that everything is on schedule and running smoothly. However, he still has the ultimate authority.
“Yeollie, aren’t you supposed to be at the meeting?” President Park asks, disapprovingly. “You know I value your input, especially since you discovered the - ”
“This is Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol interrupts, shoving Baekhyun forward. “Please hear him sing.”
3:35 PM
The work ‘thanks’ somehow gets caught in Baekhyun’s throat. However, Chanyeol understands from the look on his face, and they share a silent ride down to the lobby of the building.
President Park is excited about PL Entertainment branching out and debuting a vocalist instead of an idol. For Baekhyun, it would be all about the music, and not about the performance. He couldn’t be happier with the result.
“Chanyeol, I’m really - I think - I owe you so much,” Baekhyun says finally as they stand outside of the sliding doors. The air is frigid, and his breath comes out in little white puffs. “Thanks for sticking with me and not giving up on me after all these months.”
“You deserve it,” Chanyeol replies, ruefully. He sees Baekhyun shiver, and almost reaches out, but instead clenches his hands into fists.
“Would you like to get something to eat together on Saturday?” Baekhyun asks, suddenly.
“But Saturday is…” The words ‘Valentines’ Day’ trail off because Baekhyun is blushing, and Chanyeol suddenly understands. “Yes,” he replies, immediately. “Let’s go on a date, Byun Baekhyun.”
February 14, 2014
11:33 PM
Baekhyun is the one to plan date night, and Chanyeol kind of just shows up and goes with the flow. Dinner is nice, and Chanyeol holds the chair out for Baekhyun like a gentlemen. They dine Italian, and split a gelato for dessert.
The walk to the movie theater is not far, but somehow, between avoiding slick ice on the sidewalk and shivering in the chill, Chanyeol finds his hands wrapped around Baekhyun’s. When they get inside, he doesn’t let go.
“We should do this more often,” Chanyeol says as he stands in front of the door of Baekhyun’s apartment. “I had a really nice time.”
Baekhyun was silent for a moment, studying him intently. “Do you want to stay over?”
“But it’s late and - oh - ” Again, Chanyeol understands.
Chanyeol’s eyes widen as he process the meaning behind Baekhyun’s words. The shorter boy blushes pink, and starts to shut the door.
“Yes!” Chanyeol says, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the Baekhyun’s arm. “I mean - I would like that.”
Chanyeol finds an hour later that he has made a very, very wise decision.
February 21, 2014
8:21 AM
Chanyeol is on the phone with Kyungsoo and Kris when Baekhyun arrives and slides into the booth across from him. Kyungsoo is ranting about how Kris’ love life is a mess, just as Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s has slid into place, and Kris was doing no denying.
“You’re only hurting yourself,” Kyungsoo says, annoyed.
“Stop telling me things I already know,” Kris snaps back.
Chanyeol sighs, and hangs up quietly, not even sure if the two would notice anything other than their non-stop bickering.
“Who was that?” Baekhyun asks curiously, digging into his eggs, sunny side up.
“Ah, my friends, Kris Wu and Do Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol replies, pocketing his phone. “Apparently, there’s some new editor over at ExoZine and for some reason for another, Kyungsoo is angry. But then, Kyungsoo is always angry.”
What Chanyeol does not see is the momentary flash of panic in Baekhyun’s eyes.
March 27, 2014
7:37 PM
The day that Chanyeol finds out the truth, it is raining.
“You’re dating him?” Kyungsoo’s voice is shrill as he glares at the frozen Baekhyun in front of him.
“I - what?” Chanyeol asks, thoroughly confused.
“Chan, he’s the douchebag that broke my heart and stomped in it a few times before running over it with a car,” Kyungsoo explains. “Remember? I told you about the one line text breakup.”
Baekhyun is a waiter. He sometimes works at the sandwich shop on the Strip.
Suddenly, all the locks click neatly into place.
And Chanyeol bolts.
March 28, 2014
12:49 AM
Chanyeol is angrier that Baekhyun hid the truth from him rather than that his boyfriend had also dated his best friend slash ex-boyfriend. He also remembers hearing from Kyungsoo’s current boyfriend about how upset Kyungsoo had been after the break up, and gets even more upset.
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Baekhyun calls through the apartment door that Chanyeol refuses to open. “I mean, was I supposed to just say ‘hey, baby, I broke your best friend’s heart a while ago; please forgive me’ and smile?”
“Did you know that you were his first love?” Chanyeol says. “You were the reason he was really messed up for a while.”
He hears Baekhyun slump against the door on the other side, and slides down to the floor on his side as well. He props his legs up, and puts his head between his knees.
“After you dumped him, Kyungsoo kind of just gave up on love for a bit,” Chanyeol informs through the door. “He was like a lost soul, you know? You broke him, you jerk.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Baekhyun pleads.
“You broke up with him through a text,” Chanyeol reminds him, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Hyung, did you not even have enough decency to meet up with him and let him down gently?”
There is a thud, and Chanyeol thinks that Baekhyun must have just hit the door with his palm. “I really liked Kyungsoo, but…I just…I didn’t love him that way, not in the same way that I - ”
A sharp intake of breath cuts Baekhyun off, and he falters for a moment before finishing his sentence. In the silence between, Chanyeol becomes hypersensitive of every noise around him, the humming of the refrigerator, the ticking of the clock, everything.
“I didn’t love him the way that I love you,” Baekhyun finally whispers, voice barely drifting through. “Yeollie, please let me in.”
Chanyeol listens to his heart.
2:01 PM
Two hours later, Chanyeol is sprawled on the couch in the living room, feeling lethargic after two rounds of angry make-up sex, followed by another round of slow, passionate sex. Baekhyun has his head resting on Chanyeol’s chest, one leg dangling over the side onto the carpet.
“I really didn’t mean to hurt him,” Baekhyun mutters, blinking up at Chanyeol through sleepy eyes. “I knew that I would never love him as much as he loved me, and I just felt scared and overwhelmed.”
Chanyeol understands being scared and overwhelmed, even if he still thinks that Baekhyun should have had the decency to break up with Kyungsoo gently, face to face.
“Hyung, if you break up with me through a text, I will burn everything you own,” Chanyeol says.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “That would never happen and you know it.”
Chanyeol wraps an arm more securely around Baekhyun’s waist and snuggles him like a teddy bear. “Humm?”
“I should be the one telling you that,” Baekhyun replies.
Chanyeol chuckles, and chooses to reply with the obvious.
“I love you, too.”
June 3, 2014
10:03 AM
Byun Baekhyun’s debut album drops on June 1st and tops all charts, top 40 and indie.
The whispers around the office stops, and another one starts. Park Chanyeol is no longer the one hit wonder with luck, but instead the man with ‘the eye’ for real talent. Between Baekhyun and Changmin’s projected album sales for the year, Chanyeol's artists will bring in more money for PL than all the other artists combined together.
Chanyeol finds that he could not care less.
June 5, 2014
7:08 PM
The first time Chanyeol sticks Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in the same booth at the coffee shop, it is a lot less awkward than he expected. Baekhyun is a little embarrassed and jumpy, but apologizes immediately.
“Chanyeol, I’m glad things worked out for you two,” Kyungsoo says, after Baekhyun excused himself to go to the bathroom.
Chanyeol squints, looking for signs of sarcasm.
“No really,” Kyungsoo adds, holding up his hands defensively. “I mean, sure, the breakup was bad, but there were nice times and fond memories. Besides, maybe I should thankful, because I have Joonmyun now.”
“You guys are gross to watch,” Chanyeol mutters, gruffly.
“Yeah well, we try,” Kyungsoo shoots back. He sees Joonmyun enter the shop, and stands up, reaching for his phone on the table. “Anyway, I’m going to go be gross with my boyfriend now. Later!”
When Baekhyun returns to find Kyungsoo’s seat vacated, his face turns a shade of puce, and he bites his lip, horrified.
“Does he really hate me that much still?” he wails, burying his face in his hands.
“Kyungsoo had to leave for a date,” Chanyeol informs, pulling Baekhyun’s arm back down. “Stop being so dramatic; no one hates you.”
For Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s smile is enough to brighten the whole café.
June 11, 2014
9:10 PM
“I’m selfish, aren’t I?”
Baekhyun’s question catches Chanyeol by surprise, and he just blinks for a bit, not sure how to reply. “What do you mean?” he asks, finally.
“I break Kyungsoo’s heart, but I want him to forgive me. I snag a record deal, but only want to sing the songs that I want to sing. I already have a pair of beats headphones in white, but I buy another pair, in purple. I ate all of my muffin, but I want more, so now I’m eating yours.” Baekhyun illustrates his point by pinching off another corner of Chanyeol’s deformed blueberry muffin.
“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol repeats, not following the logic.
“I don’t deserve your love,” Baekhyun finishes, “but I want your love anyway. I want to keep you all to myself, to have all your attention, all of the time. I think I’m the most selfish person in the world.”
Chanyeol thinks for a moment, and smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s okay; I don’t really mind. You can be my selfish Byun Baekhyun.”
Pairing: Chanbaek/Baekyeol
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5259
Genre: Romance
Description: Baekhyun is selfish, but Chanyeol finds that he doesn’t really mind.
A/N: I wrote this at like 1AM-3AM because I always do my best writing at weird hours of the night. Anyway, this takes place in the same universe as Black & White, which focuses on Kyungsoo. The third part will spin off this, and will be focused on Kris and Yixing. I'm just going to excuse myself now...
September 9, 2013
11:05 AM
Chanyeol hears the whispers when he walks through the lobby of PL Entertainment on a regular basis.
He’s been working here for more than five years and he’s only discovered, what, one talent? It was just luck, a total fluke. That guy doesn’t have ‘the eye.’
Chanyeol knows that he is picky when it comes to picking talent for the company. He has only ever approved of one, a singer-dancer by the name of Max Changmin, who debuted several years ago to fervent success. He thinks that Changmin’s album sales alone should prove that he does have ‘the eye’ for talent, but the whispers, they never end.
“Kyungsoo-ah, I’m in a shitty mood. There better be no problems on your end with the photobook,” he barks into his phone, almost as soon as his feet hit the sidewalk.
“Hey, don’t take your anger out on me,” Kyungsoo replies on the other end, albeit a bit huffily.
“No promises,” Chanyeol sighs. “Do you have the draft ready to show me? President Park wants it finalized in a week, tops.”
Kyungsoo lets out a chuckle on the other end. “You get too worked up over Changmin-ssi’ business,” he says. “Calm down, Yeol. Deep breaths, okay?”
The comment gets to Chanyeol more than it should, and he almost rolls his eyes out of their sockets in frustration.
“Kris and I were going to grab lunch in a few minutes,” Kyungsoo adds quickly. “Why don’t you meet us on the Strip in twenty minutes and I’ll bring you the proposal then.”
Chanyeol quickly agrees and hangs up the phone. So what if it’s not even noon yet on a Wednesday? He’s more than ready to get shitfaced.
11:40 AM
It appears that Kris and Kyungsoo’s lunch plans, however, did not include alcohol. Chanyeol trails the two in mild disgust as they do not turn off the Strip towards the bars and ktv, but instead follows the street north, towards the dainty cafes and vintage shops.
“I could use a turkey club sandwich or two,” Kris declares as he leads the way.
Chanyeol brings up the rear, and he thinks they make a striking trio. He and Kris are tall, both well over six feet. Kyungsoo is way shorter, but has enough spunk in his attitude to make up for it. He had gone to the same college as Kris, who now worked as a manga editor at a publishing company. It is through Kris that he had met, and then briefly dated, Kyungsoo, who also worked at the same publishing company.
“Let’s go there!” Kris calls, pointing at a sandwich shop at the corner. He is halfway to the door when Kyungsoo yanks on his sleeve and stops him in his tracks.
“We can’t go there,” he says.
“Why not?” Kris whines, looking as if his world has suddenly ended.
“Remember that guy I used to date? He’s a waiter there, and I am not in the mood to see him today,” Kyungsoo replies.
“Didn’t we used to date too?” Chanyeol asks, confused. “Besides, aren’t you dating that dancer kid now?”
“Okay, we only dated for two weeks because I was mesmerized by your long legs,” Kyungsoo interrupts, holding up a hand. “That guy was my first love, okay? I dated that guy for months, and then he dumped me with a goddamn text.”
“Harsh,” Kris replies, wincing. He turns away from the restaurant, hooks an arm protectively over Kyungsoo’s shoulder, and starts steering him to a bulgogi place down the street.
“Does no one want my opinion?” Chanyeol barks, annoyed, as he yet again trailed after the other two. “I want to go that way where the alcohol is.”
His command is only met with silence. As usual.
October 6, 2013
4:55 PM
Seoul is chilly by October, and Chanyeol makes his way through Hongdae towards the subway entrance five blocks from PL Entertainment in a hurry. He has left his scarf at home, and he can no longer feel his ears or his nose due to the cold.
He almost cries with frustration when he turns the corner and sees the large crowd standing stationary in the middle of the square blocking his path. His fingers are starting to go numb as well.
Then, he hears the voice, and realizes why people were gathered in the middle of the street on such a cold day.
A man is sitting on a bench next to a soft, gurgling fountain. A guitar is propped on his lap, the man wore fingerless gloves in order to fight off the cold. He sang with the voice of angel, head tilted back, eyes closed. The melody flowed out of thin lips like sweet wine, and Chanyeol finds himself move closer.
This was it. This was the voice, the one that he has been waiting to discover for the past four years. Chanyeol decides to pop into the nearby coffee shop to grab a warm drink, and further observe this piece of perfection.
7:00 PM
Two hours later, Chanyeol watches from the coffee shop window as the man with the beautiful voice gathers the money he has collected into neat pile and starts to pack away his guitar case. Chanyeol orders another hot chocolate, and accosts the man just as he is about to leave.
“For you,” he says, holding out the drink.
The singer gives his a once over, and seemly decides that Chanyeol does not seem like the poisoning type, despite being a giant at over 6ft tall. He shrugs, and accepts the warm drink. He takes a sip, and a shudder of warmth spreads through his body.
“You have a really nice voice,” Chanyeol says, taking a seat on the bench. Now that he has had a closer look at the man, Chanyeol also thinks that he has a nice face. However, he decides to leave that detail out, thinking it to be too creepy.
“Thanks, I guess,” the man replies, also taking a seat.
There is a beat of silence, before Chanyeol holds out a business card. “I’m Park Chanyeol, a talent scout for PL Entertainment. If you have the time, please give me a call sometime and I can set you up with a private audition. You are really talented, and I think we could use someone like you on the team.”
The singer gives him an incredulous look, shaking his head at the card in front of him. “Byun Baekhyun,” he replies, haughtily. “And also, not interested.”
“What do you mean?” Chanyeol asks surprised. PL Entertainment is one of “the big three” in South Korea, and he has just more or less offered this Byun Baekhyun a chance at a recording contract. Who in their right mind turns that down?
“I’m not interested in auditioning for any company,” Baekhyun repeats. He stands up, and picks up his guitar case with the hand not holding the hot chocolate. “I am not interested in being factory produced into the next pop idol by some big shot producers who think they know what’s best for me.”
Chanyeol opens his mouth to speak, but closes it again, shocked into silence.
“It was nice meeting you, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun says, turning away. “Thanks for the drink.”
And then, he is gone.
And Chanyeol is left, still holding out his business card to the empty street.
October 23, 2013
5:21 PM
Chanyeol stalks the singer, Baekhyun, a little. Just a little. Okay, no, a lot. But as any talent scout knows, once you see the talent, you don’t give up until they’ve been won over. He learns that Baekhyun plays in the spot outside the café every Monday and Thursday, and sings in a different café on Friday and Saturday nights.
The more time Chanyeol listens to his voice, the more he is convinced that it is flawless. Byun Baekhyun hits every note with ease, and has vocal range control that rivals an experienced singer.
Chanyeol knows that this voice can make it big, and then finally, finally, the whispers would stop.
November 2, 2013
3:24 PM
“Dude, enough is enough.”
“I agree,” Chanyeol says, holding out his business card again at the whining man sitting across from him. It had started to rain that day, in the middle of Baekhyun’s streetside performance, and Chanyeol thanked the weather gods, and then cornered Baekhyun in the coffee shop.
“I’m starting to think that you’re my number one fan,” Baekhyun sighs, still not taking the card. “I see you at more of my performances than my online fanclub.”
“You have a fanclub?”
“Unfortunately,” Baekhyun grumbles.
Chanyeol can’t help but let out a chuckle. “Here, take this card and I’ll leave you alone.”
“For how long?” Baekhyun counters.
Chanyeol realizes he has been caught, and smiles sheepishly. “A week? Maybe two.”
Baekhyun sighs dramatically, and swipes the card out of Chanyeol’s hands. “I’ll take all the time I can get,” he says, rolling his eyes.
November 14, 2013
11:47 AM
The first time Chanyeol receives a call from Byun Baekhyun, it is nothing contract related. There is an indie music festival in town, and Baekhyun has extra tickets.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a music expert?” Baekhyun says tauntingly over the phone. “Well, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Chanyeol accepts the invitation, and gets ready to wow Baekhyun with the fact that he doesn’t just know Top 40 pop music, but also knows his indie.
He just needs to do some research first.
November 27, 2013
8:10 PM
It takes less than twenty minutes for Baekhyun to realize that Chanyeol knew nothing about indie music. While he does recognize the instruments and the singing techniques, he fails at naming the top indie artists of the past two decades, and instead flails in confusion.
Still, Chanyeol finds the concert quiet enjoyable and discovers that he likes indie music. It’s a nice change of pace, he thinks. Very nice, indeed.
December 18, 2013
1:59 PM
With the Holiday Edition Max Changmin Official Photobook set to go on sale in less than 10 days, on Christmas, Chanyeol finds himself spending a lot of time at ExoZine Publications, Inc., hovering over Kyungsoo as they finalize everything for printing.
“You’re creeping me out,” Kyungsoo whines, as he looks up and shrieks at finding Chanyeol’s face so close to his own. “Seriously, you need to get out of my personal space bubble.”
“Stop being so jumpy,” Chanyeol replies, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, you just need to get laid.”
“I wish,” Kyungsoo mutters under his breath.
For a moment, Chanyeol freezes, but then Kris is barging into the office, dragging Sehun the intern-slash-receptionist behind him with an annoyed expression.
“I caught him sleeping on the job just now,” Kris roars at Kyungsoo, giving Chanyeol a nod of acknowledgement. “Do you realize that this is all your fault?”
“How am I to blame?” Kyungsoo asks, confused.
“You were the one who set him up with Jongin, okay? That makes his lack of attentiveness your fault.”
Chanyeol tunes out of the conversation as the other two start to argue, and gives poor Sehun a sympathetic look. The boy looks terrified to be caught between Kris and Kyungsoo’s yelling match.
Then, Chanyeol realizes the irony. “Yah, Do Kyungsoo, is there anyone in this conversation or in this room that you haven’t kissed?”
Kyungsoo is silent for a moment. True, there had been that one office party when he had drunkenly kissed Sehun the intern. Then, he had dated Jongin for several months before peacefully parting ways. He had set Jongin and Sehun up less than a month ago, and the two had hit it off perfectly. “Um…no?” he replies, finally. He had dated Chanyeol for a short three weeks ages ago, and had once accidentally kissed Kris out of excitement for getting him the entire set of Death Note mangas and anime for his birthday.
There is a beat of silence, as everyone mulls it over.
“Whoops?” Kyungsoo offers, meekly. “Sorry?”
Kris just sighs.
“Well, it’s coming back to bite me in the ass now, isn’t it?” Kyungsoo grumbles. “Now that I finally figure out what I want, and who I want, I can’t have him.”
“Can I go back to my desk now?” Sehun asks, voice timid, shooting Kris a nervous look.
Kris nods, and gives him a warning look. “No more sleeping at work, okay?” Kris barks. “You can spend all night doing whatever you want with Jongin on the weekends.”
Sehun blushes purple, and bolts from the room.
“Funny, considering you sleep more than anyone at work,” Kyungsoo mutters.
“Yah, that is because - because that’s how my job cycle works. I sleep because I’ve been up for more than 24 hours meeting deadlines, not because I spend all night - look, I am so not having this conversation with you.” Kris turns on his heel with a huff, and struts from the room.
Kyungsoo turns to Chanyeol and shrugs, before turning back to the screen. “So, anything new with your love life? My sucks because the guy I love is dating someone else.”
Chanyeol doesn’t have a love life, so he tells Kyungsoo about Baekhyun instead.
January 3, 2014
7:11 PM
When Kyungsoo finally does get a love life, he is unbearable.
“He made me breakfast in bed,” Kyungsoo says dreamily over the phone as Chanyeol tries not to gag. “Chanyeollie, he’s perfect.”
“So, um…about the reprinting of the photobook…” Chanyeol tries again, because goddamnit Max Changmin’s Holiday Photobooks are selling like hotcakes and PL Entertainment needs to order more, more, more.
“Oh, you’ll have to call and talk to someone else,” Kyungsoo tells him. “I’m taking a week off work because Joonmyun and I are going to a ski resort tomorrow. Isn’t it wonderful? I haven’t been skiing in years.”
Chanyeol fights the urge to throw up in his mouth and quickly hangs up.
January 20, 2014
10:15 PM
Sometimes Baekhyun calls, just to have a chat, and Chanyeol finds that he doesn’t really mind. Baekhyun has a nice voice, even when he isn’t singing, and it’s soothing, Chanyeol thinks.
January 29, 2014
11:02 PM
Then sometimes, its’ not even Baekhyun who calls.
Chanyeol stares down in confusion at the caller ID. It definitely says Byun Baekhyun, but the shrill voice yelling at him is high pitched and that of a female.
“Deh, hello?” Chanyeol says again, confused.
“Your friend is drunk and passed out in the lobby of the apartment,” the woman says, sounding exaggerated. “I found your name card in his pocket and you were on speed dial so you must be close. Can you come get this lump?”
Chanyeol is up and dressed in record time
11:39 PM
The lady in the lobby hands the phone over to Chanyeol, and immediately takes off for the stairs, mumbling about ‘young people’ and ‘alcoholic.’ Chanyeol takes one look at the bleary-eyed Baekhyun and feels bad.
Baekhyun is sporting bloodshot red eyes and a dopey smile, and his hair is beyond wrecked.
“What floor do you live on, Baek?” Chanyeol asks, lugging the smaller man to his feet.
Baekhyun just shoves a key in Chanyeol faces. He looks down, and reads 5D on the keychain. Chanyeol presses the up button for the elevator, and wait patiently, taking most of Baekhyun’s weight.
He wakes Baekhyun up by putting his head in the sink and turning on very cold water. Then, he makes rice and bread, and more or less forces it down Baekhyun’s throat in order to soak up the alcohol in his system.
“What happened to you?” Chanyeol asks, not sure if he really even wants to know.
“Sometimes, my parents like to call and remind me what I have no career, except working as a waiter and street musician,” Baekhyun mutters. “They’re not that amused at having a failure for a son.”
Baekhyun’s face is pale, and Chanyeol realizes he is about to throw up just in time to shove him over to the sink.
“You should stop drinking,” Chanyeol observes conversationally as they watch vomit slide down the drain.
Baekhyun lets out a sardonic laugh, then drags himself over to lay down on the couch.
“Thanks for taking care of me, Chanyeol,” he mutters, curling into a miserable ball under a blanket. “Even if I do think it’s just because you like to laugh at me.”
“I’m going to go get some aspirin from the convenience store around the corner for you to have tomorrow morning,” Chanyeol replies, gently. He pats Baekhyun on the forehead, and starts to head out. “You’re not a failure, Baek. Don’t let them get to you, or you’re going to be having a lot of horrible hangovers in the future.”
He leaves Baekhyun to a restless slumber, and quietly goes to purchase the aspirin. Chanyeol realizes that maybe, Baekhyun isn’t perfect in a literal sense, but to him, Baekhyun is unconventionally perfect in every way.
February 1, 2014
12:31 PM
It is a whole week after the drunk-Baekhyun incident before Baekhyun calls again. This time, he is calm, almost somber.
“I’ll do it.”
“What?” Chanyeol yelps in surprise, almost dropping the phone in his hand.
“I said I’ll have an audition with your company. Is that enough?”
Suddenly, Chanyeol feels guilty. “Baek, if this is about what your parents said, don’t - ”
“It’s not,” Baekhyun interrupts. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually, and it would help my music to reach out to a bigger audience. It can’t be so bad, since you work there, right?”
Right.
February 10, 2014
9:02 AM
The company is abuzz the day Baekhyun is schedule to come in for the audition. It has been more than four years since the legendary talent scout has brought anyone in. His first find had been the biggest pop star of South Korea; who knows what his second has the possibility to be.
10:47 AM
“I’m nervous,” Baekhyun admits in the elevator as he glances around at the grant walls reflecting his terrified face back to him.
Baekhyun is dressed in simple black jeans, white tshirt, and black leather jacket. His red converse scuffed against another as he shuffled around, aimlessly. He is casually stunning, Chanyeol decides.
“Just smile and sing,” Chanyeol advises. He’s never been wrong about talent before.
12:22 PM
Chanyeol is waiting for Baekhyun outside the room where Baekhyun is auditioning when he comes out, a bottle of soda in hand.
“How’d it go?” Chanyeol asks.
Baekhyun takes the drink and shrugs. “Okay, I guess.”
4:51 PM
It turns out Baekhyun did better than okay. Chanyeol’s sunbaes that had been the panel on the audition were gushing about the boy with the looks, the personality, and the voice.
“You did it again,” one of them says as he claps Chanyeol on the back at the end of a team meeting. “I don’t know how you keep finding them, but you did it.”
Chanyeol just smiles. He is never wrong about talent.
February 12, 2014
1:08 PM
However, the board meeting doesn’t go exactly the way Chanyeol imagined. While the audition panel is made of experts with a love and affinity for music, the board is composed of investors and the financial experts, and could care less about the quality of the music as long as profit was involved.
“The voice is worth investment,” the director of the board decides, nodding approvingly. “He has a nice face too, even if he is a bit short. We can get him some insoles and eyeliner around those eyes, and he’ll be a heartbreaker.”
“I think he would be well received,” another adds, thoughtfully. “Not too young like some of the singers other companies are debuting, but not too old to be uncool.”
Then, the director utters the word that makes Chanyeol’s hairs stand up on his arm: pop.
There had been a time, months ago, when Chanyeol had wanted nothing more than to mold Byun Baekhyun into the next Max Changmin, with flashy dance moves and all. However, while Changmin is suited for pop music, Chanyeol had decided that he likes Baekhyun just the way he is, with his guitar, playing acoustic, slightly indie songs and singing soul ballads.
“He’s not going to be a pop star.”
Faces turn to him. The director of the board raises a challenging eyebrow and is not amused.
1:45 PM
Fifteen minutes after receiving the emergency text, Baekhyun bursts into the company lobby in a full-out panic.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” he asks, wildly.
Chanyeol blinks, confused.
“Yah, Park Chanyeol, you typed EMERGENCY in all capital letters. I thought you had died or something, dammit,” Baekhyun whines.
2:10 PM
Chanyeol does not like to admit it, but his relationship with the President of PL Entertainment is more than just that of a boss and subordinate. In fact, President Park is his favorite uncle, someone he has known and grown up next to all of his life. Not many of his co-workers knew of their relation, and he likes to keep it that way.
While President Park still held the title of ‘President,’ he had more or less retired, and left most executive decisions to his underlines, working only behind the scenes to ensure that everything is on schedule and running smoothly. However, he still has the ultimate authority.
“Yeollie, aren’t you supposed to be at the meeting?” President Park asks, disapprovingly. “You know I value your input, especially since you discovered the - ”
“This is Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol interrupts, shoving Baekhyun forward. “Please hear him sing.”
3:35 PM
The work ‘thanks’ somehow gets caught in Baekhyun’s throat. However, Chanyeol understands from the look on his face, and they share a silent ride down to the lobby of the building.
President Park is excited about PL Entertainment branching out and debuting a vocalist instead of an idol. For Baekhyun, it would be all about the music, and not about the performance. He couldn’t be happier with the result.
“Chanyeol, I’m really - I think - I owe you so much,” Baekhyun says finally as they stand outside of the sliding doors. The air is frigid, and his breath comes out in little white puffs. “Thanks for sticking with me and not giving up on me after all these months.”
“You deserve it,” Chanyeol replies, ruefully. He sees Baekhyun shiver, and almost reaches out, but instead clenches his hands into fists.
“Would you like to get something to eat together on Saturday?” Baekhyun asks, suddenly.
“But Saturday is…” The words ‘Valentines’ Day’ trail off because Baekhyun is blushing, and Chanyeol suddenly understands. “Yes,” he replies, immediately. “Let’s go on a date, Byun Baekhyun.”
February 14, 2014
11:33 PM
Baekhyun is the one to plan date night, and Chanyeol kind of just shows up and goes with the flow. Dinner is nice, and Chanyeol holds the chair out for Baekhyun like a gentlemen. They dine Italian, and split a gelato for dessert.
The walk to the movie theater is not far, but somehow, between avoiding slick ice on the sidewalk and shivering in the chill, Chanyeol finds his hands wrapped around Baekhyun’s. When they get inside, he doesn’t let go.
“We should do this more often,” Chanyeol says as he stands in front of the door of Baekhyun’s apartment. “I had a really nice time.”
Baekhyun was silent for a moment, studying him intently. “Do you want to stay over?”
“But it’s late and - oh - ” Again, Chanyeol understands.
Chanyeol’s eyes widen as he process the meaning behind Baekhyun’s words. The shorter boy blushes pink, and starts to shut the door.
“Yes!” Chanyeol says, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the Baekhyun’s arm. “I mean - I would like that.”
Chanyeol finds an hour later that he has made a very, very wise decision.
February 21, 2014
8:21 AM
Chanyeol is on the phone with Kyungsoo and Kris when Baekhyun arrives and slides into the booth across from him. Kyungsoo is ranting about how Kris’ love life is a mess, just as Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s has slid into place, and Kris was doing no denying.
“You’re only hurting yourself,” Kyungsoo says, annoyed.
“Stop telling me things I already know,” Kris snaps back.
Chanyeol sighs, and hangs up quietly, not even sure if the two would notice anything other than their non-stop bickering.
“Who was that?” Baekhyun asks curiously, digging into his eggs, sunny side up.
“Ah, my friends, Kris Wu and Do Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol replies, pocketing his phone. “Apparently, there’s some new editor over at ExoZine and for some reason for another, Kyungsoo is angry. But then, Kyungsoo is always angry.”
What Chanyeol does not see is the momentary flash of panic in Baekhyun’s eyes.
March 27, 2014
7:37 PM
The day that Chanyeol finds out the truth, it is raining.
“You’re dating him?” Kyungsoo’s voice is shrill as he glares at the frozen Baekhyun in front of him.
“I - what?” Chanyeol asks, thoroughly confused.
“Chan, he’s the douchebag that broke my heart and stomped in it a few times before running over it with a car,” Kyungsoo explains. “Remember? I told you about the one line text breakup.”
Baekhyun is a waiter. He sometimes works at the sandwich shop on the Strip.
Suddenly, all the locks click neatly into place.
And Chanyeol bolts.
March 28, 2014
12:49 AM
Chanyeol is angrier that Baekhyun hid the truth from him rather than that his boyfriend had also dated his best friend slash ex-boyfriend. He also remembers hearing from Kyungsoo’s current boyfriend about how upset Kyungsoo had been after the break up, and gets even more upset.
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” Baekhyun calls through the apartment door that Chanyeol refuses to open. “I mean, was I supposed to just say ‘hey, baby, I broke your best friend’s heart a while ago; please forgive me’ and smile?”
“Did you know that you were his first love?” Chanyeol says. “You were the reason he was really messed up for a while.”
He hears Baekhyun slump against the door on the other side, and slides down to the floor on his side as well. He props his legs up, and puts his head between his knees.
“After you dumped him, Kyungsoo kind of just gave up on love for a bit,” Chanyeol informs through the door. “He was like a lost soul, you know? You broke him, you jerk.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Baekhyun pleads.
“You broke up with him through a text,” Chanyeol reminds him, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Hyung, did you not even have enough decency to meet up with him and let him down gently?”
There is a thud, and Chanyeol thinks that Baekhyun must have just hit the door with his palm. “I really liked Kyungsoo, but…I just…I didn’t love him that way, not in the same way that I - ”
A sharp intake of breath cuts Baekhyun off, and he falters for a moment before finishing his sentence. In the silence between, Chanyeol becomes hypersensitive of every noise around him, the humming of the refrigerator, the ticking of the clock, everything.
“I didn’t love him the way that I love you,” Baekhyun finally whispers, voice barely drifting through. “Yeollie, please let me in.”
Chanyeol listens to his heart.
2:01 PM
Two hours later, Chanyeol is sprawled on the couch in the living room, feeling lethargic after two rounds of angry make-up sex, followed by another round of slow, passionate sex. Baekhyun has his head resting on Chanyeol’s chest, one leg dangling over the side onto the carpet.
“I really didn’t mean to hurt him,” Baekhyun mutters, blinking up at Chanyeol through sleepy eyes. “I knew that I would never love him as much as he loved me, and I just felt scared and overwhelmed.”
Chanyeol understands being scared and overwhelmed, even if he still thinks that Baekhyun should have had the decency to break up with Kyungsoo gently, face to face.
“Hyung, if you break up with me through a text, I will burn everything you own,” Chanyeol says.
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “That would never happen and you know it.”
Chanyeol wraps an arm more securely around Baekhyun’s waist and snuggles him like a teddy bear. “Humm?”
“I should be the one telling you that,” Baekhyun replies.
Chanyeol chuckles, and chooses to reply with the obvious.
“I love you, too.”
June 3, 2014
10:03 AM
Byun Baekhyun’s debut album drops on June 1st and tops all charts, top 40 and indie.
The whispers around the office stops, and another one starts. Park Chanyeol is no longer the one hit wonder with luck, but instead the man with ‘the eye’ for real talent. Between Baekhyun and Changmin’s projected album sales for the year, Chanyeol's artists will bring in more money for PL than all the other artists combined together.
Chanyeol finds that he could not care less.
June 5, 2014
7:08 PM
The first time Chanyeol sticks Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in the same booth at the coffee shop, it is a lot less awkward than he expected. Baekhyun is a little embarrassed and jumpy, but apologizes immediately.
“Chanyeol, I’m glad things worked out for you two,” Kyungsoo says, after Baekhyun excused himself to go to the bathroom.
Chanyeol squints, looking for signs of sarcasm.
“No really,” Kyungsoo adds, holding up his hands defensively. “I mean, sure, the breakup was bad, but there were nice times and fond memories. Besides, maybe I should thankful, because I have Joonmyun now.”
“You guys are gross to watch,” Chanyeol mutters, gruffly.
“Yeah well, we try,” Kyungsoo shoots back. He sees Joonmyun enter the shop, and stands up, reaching for his phone on the table. “Anyway, I’m going to go be gross with my boyfriend now. Later!”
When Baekhyun returns to find Kyungsoo’s seat vacated, his face turns a shade of puce, and he bites his lip, horrified.
“Does he really hate me that much still?” he wails, burying his face in his hands.
“Kyungsoo had to leave for a date,” Chanyeol informs, pulling Baekhyun’s arm back down. “Stop being so dramatic; no one hates you.”
For Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s smile is enough to brighten the whole café.
June 11, 2014
9:10 PM
“I’m selfish, aren’t I?”
Baekhyun’s question catches Chanyeol by surprise, and he just blinks for a bit, not sure how to reply. “What do you mean?” he asks, finally.
“I break Kyungsoo’s heart, but I want him to forgive me. I snag a record deal, but only want to sing the songs that I want to sing. I already have a pair of beats headphones in white, but I buy another pair, in purple. I ate all of my muffin, but I want more, so now I’m eating yours.” Baekhyun illustrates his point by pinching off another corner of Chanyeol’s deformed blueberry muffin.
“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol repeats, not following the logic.
“I don’t deserve your love,” Baekhyun finishes, “but I want your love anyway. I want to keep you all to myself, to have all your attention, all of the time. I think I’m the most selfish person in the world.”
Chanyeol thinks for a moment, and smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s okay; I don’t really mind. You can be my selfish Byun Baekhyun.”